EP3793367A1

EP3793367A1 - Ice cream dispensing machine and cartridge

Info

Publication number: EP3793367A1
Application number: EP19733225.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: John Evan Spirk; Gary Robert Stephan; Richard KLINK; Marc Vitantonio; Alexander VELET; Jason R. Ertel; David Pehar; Robert Vystrcil; William Sebastian
Original assignee: Nottingham Spirk Design Associates Inc
Current assignee: Nottingham Spirk Design Associates Inc
Priority date: 2018-05-18
Filing date: 2019-05-20
Publication date: 2021-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 2039-05-20
Also published as: WO2022108696A1; AU2019269737A1; EP3793367B1; CA3105186A1; WO2019222752A1; AU2023200275B2; CA3214807A1; AU2021385011A1; CN116782770A; CA3199198A1; EP4247179A1; CA3105186C; CN112437612A; JP2023549554A; EP3793367C0; KR20210018308A; KR20230121757A; US20210068419A1; CN112437612B; US20240306665A1

Abstract

A machine for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert may include a cartridge cart having walls forming a cylindrical cavity having a longitudinal central axis and configured to accommodate a cartridge. The cartridge may include a cylindrical tube having first and second ends, a nozzle disposed at the first end, and a piston disposed between the nozzle and the second end and configured to slidably move along the cylindrical tube. The individual portion of the frozen dessert may be contained within the cylindrical tube between the nozzle and the piston. The machine may also include a plunger, a drive source operably coupled to the plunger and configured to drive the plunger along the central axis, and a support configured to support the first end of the cartridge such that actuating the drive source causes the individual portion of frozen dessert to dispense through the nozzle.

Description

ICE CREAM DISPENSING MACHINE AND CARTRIDGE

BACKGROUND

[001] Consumers enjoy quality gourmet ice cream at home and other locations but particularly at ice cream parlors. A challenge for ice cream parlors, however, is that dispensing gourmet ice cream involves significant overhead. For example, an associate must scoop the ice cream from a large bin into a cup or cone for the consumer to enjoy. The associate must also add any inclusions (e.g., nuts, sprinkles, etc.) that are not already part of the ice cream. To make matters worse, the associate may underfill or overfill the ice cream scoops resulting in consumption levels that are difficult for the parlor to track and, therefore, predict. In addition, consumers may not desire to travel to ice cream parlors to enjoy gourmet ice cream.

[002] Retailers have tried to meet these challenges by pre-packaging gourmet ice cream in containers that consumers can purchase. A drawback of this approach is that, at the retailer, these containers must be stored in large freezers that either occupy too much prime real estate, which is undesirable, or must be kept out of sight from the consumer, which is also undesirable. And, even after the consumer finds the ice cream, it may not be ready for consumption because it is typically kept at too cold a

temperature (e.g., 0°F to -20°F), which makes the ice cream too hard and a struggle for consumers to enjoy.

[003] To make up for some of these drawbacks, retailers have deployed large soft serve“ice cream” machines. These machines typically must run all day and may require stabilizing ingredients be included in the ice cream mix. When the mix is ready for consumption, a consumer or store associate pulls on a handle to dispense the soft serve ice cream into a cup or cone. But soft serve ice cream typically contains no inclusions (e.g., no chocolate chunks) as they would clog the machine’s nozzle. Flavor selection is also limited. The machines are bulky. If a new, different flavor is desired the machine must be purged, cleaned, and then refilled with the new flavor and then allowed to cool to the proper serving temperature. Conventional soft serve machines may also require expensive maintenance and cleaning, and may require to be running around the clock to keep the ingredients mixed, frozen, and ready to serve. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[004] The present disclosure provides an ice cream dispensing machine that extrudes premium ice cream from a cartridge and dispenses it into a cup. The machine accepts a proprietary cartridge filled with (but not limited to) ice cream and dispenses the ice cream into a cup at the press of a button. The machine may then eject the empty cartridge, obviating the need for the user to remove the used cartridge. Interestingly, the process of extruding the frozen ice cream from the cartridge, causes the surface of the ice cream to become instantly edible. This addresses the prior art problem in which frozen ice cream was too hard to eat directly from the freezer and consumers had to wait for the ice cream to warm up or struggle with eating rock-hard ice cream. Moreover, the machine and cartridge disclosed herein allow for inclusions in the ice cream. The invention(s) disclosed here may provide these and other advantages over the prior art.

[005] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various example systems, methods, and so on, that illustrate various example embodiments of aspects of the invention. It will be

appreciated that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that one element may be designed as multiple elements or that multiple elements may be designed as one element. An element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to scale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[006] Figure 1 illustrates a front view of an exemplary machine for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert.

[007] Figures 2A and 2B illustrate another exemplary machine for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert.

[008] Figure 3A and 3B illustrate perspective and exploded views of an exemplary cartridge for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert. [009] Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the machine of figures 2A and 2B with the enclosure removed.

[0010] Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary cartridge cart.

[0011] Figure 6 illustrates a schematic view of the interaction between a cartridge cart, a cartridge, and a plunger.

[0012] Figure 7 illustrates loading of a cartridge into the machine of figures 2A and 2B.

[0013] Figure 8 illustrates start of the automatic portion of the frozen dessert dispensing process.

[0014] Figure 9 illustrates engagement of a cap grasper to a cap of a cartridge.

[0015] Figure 10 illustrates removal of the cap of the cartridge.

[0016] Figure 1 1 illustrates the cap grasper moved horizontally to move the cap away from the path of the frozen dessert.

[0017] Figure 12 illustrates engagement of a cartridge’s piston and a plunger.

[0018] Figure 13 illustrates the conclusion of the dispensing part of the process.

[0019] Figure 14 illustrates reinstalling of the cap onto the cartridge.

[0020] Figure 15A illustrates gripping of the cartridge to retain it to extract it from the cartridge cart.

[0021] Figure 15B illustrates a perspective view of the plunger to show more details of the radial grippers.

[0022] Figure 16 illustrates discarding of the cartridge.

[0023] Figures 17 and 18 illustrate removal of a discard bin from the machine of figures 2A and 2B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary machine 1 for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert. The machine 1 may include an enclosure 2 having a front door 4 or opening for inserting a cartridge 5 into the machine 1. The cartridge 5 may be filled with any type of frozen dessert such as ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen milkshake mix, etc. The front door 4 or opening connects to a passage that leads the cartridge 5 into a cartridge cart 3 as described below. The machine 1 may accommodate cartridges 5 of various sizes (e.g., length) depending on a serving size. For a small serving the machine 1 may accommodate a shorter cartridge 5 while for a larger serving the machine 1 may accommodate a longer cartridge 5.

[0025] The machine 1 may also include a serving area 6 where a user may put a cup to which the frozen dessert may be dispensed. The machine 1 may also include controls 8 such as a touchscreen or physical buttons that allow the user to start the dispensing process. The machine 1 may include, for example, an electronic display that displays instructions to a user as to how to operate the machine. The machine 1 may also include a proximity sensor that detects proximity of a user to the machine 1 and, based on the detected proximity, commence displaying the instructions.

[0026] The machine 1 may include or be disposed next to a freezer 10 to keep cartridges 5 filled with frozen dessert at the ideal temperature (e.g., -5°F to 0°F). In one embodiment, the freezer 10 may be operably connected to the machine 1 and may auto load cartridges 5 from the freezer 10 into the machine 1.

[0027] The machine 1 may also include a supplies area 12 where cups, spoons, napkins, etc. may be kept as a convenience to users. A user may take a cup C from the supplies area 12, set it in the serving area 6, select a cartridge 5 from the freezer 10, insert the cartridge 5 through the passage behind the door 4, and press Start on the controls 8 to start the dispensing process.

[0028] Figures 2A and 2B illustrate another exemplary machine 1 for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert. Like the machine 1 of figure 1 , the machine 1 of figures 2A and 2B may include an enclosure 2 having a front door 4 or opening for inserting a cartridge 5 into the machine 1. The cartridge 5 may be filled with any type of frozen dessert such as ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen milkshake mix, etc. The front door 4 or opening connects to a passage that leads the cartridge 5 into a cartridge cart 3 as described below. The front door 4 may accommodate cartridges 5 of various sizes (e.g., length) depending on a serving size. [0029] The machine 1 may also include a serving area 6 where a user may put the cup C to which the frozen dessert may be dispensed. The machine 1 may also include controls 8 such as a touchscreen or physical buttons that allow the user to start the dispensing process.

[0030] As shown in figure 2A, the machine 1 may include or may be located above a freezer 10 to keep cartridges 5 filled with frozen dessert at the ideal temperature (e.g., - 5°F to 0°F). In the illustrated embodiment of figure 2A, the freezer 10 serves as a stand for the machine 1. As shown in figure 2B, the freezer 10 may be located next to the machine 1. In the illustrated embodiment of figure 2B, the machine 1 and the freezer 10 are placed on a stand or counter 14. The stand 14 may have an opening 14a for receiving trash and may have another opening on top (not shown) to dispose of used cartridges 5 into a discard bin. In the embodiment of figure 2A, the machine 1 may have stored within (see figure 17) a discard bin 54. The machine 1 may also include or may be disposed next to a supplies area 12 where cups, cones, spoons, napkins, etc. may be kept as a convenience to users.

[0031] A user may take a cup C from the supplies area 12, set it in the serving area 6, select a cartridge 5 from the freezer 10, insert the cartridge through the passage behind door 4, and press Start on the controls 8 to start the dispensing process.

[0032] Figure 3A and 3B illustrate perspective and exploded views, respectively, of an exemplary cartridge 5 for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert. The cartridge 5 includes a cylindrical tube 7 and has a first end 5a, a second end 5b, and a central axis a. A nozzle 9 is disposed at the first end 5a and a cap 23 may cover the nozzle 9 prior to dispensing of the frozen dessert. The nozzle 9 has a shoulder 9a that engages the tube 7 at the first end 5a and a neck 9b that has a diameter smaller than a diameter of the cylindrical tube 7 and the shoulder 9a. A piston 1 1 is disposed between the nozzle 9 and the second end 5b. The piston 11 is configured to slide along the cylindrical tube 7 to expel an individual portion of the frozen dessert contained in the cartridge 5 through the nozzle 9.

[0033] The nozzle 9 has an opening 9c from which the frozen dessert dispenses. The opening 9c may be, for example, star-shaped to shape the frozen dessert when dispensed. In one embodiment, the piston 1 1 and the interior of the nozzle 9 have corresponding shapes so that, when press against each other, space between them is minimized to maximize an amount of the frozen dessert dispensed from the cartridge 5. During the dispensing or extrusion process through the shaping nozzle 9, due to friction of extruding, the frozen dessert exposed to the nozzle 9 may warm up to an ideal serving temperature or at least soften to make it more enjoyable. The opening 9c may be formed by nozzle portions whose edges cause friction with the frozen dessert being dispensed causing the temperature and/or texture of the frozen dessert exposed to the edges to change. This helps soften the surface of the frozen dessert making it more easily enjoyable immediately after serving. In one example, extrusion through the nozzle and contact with the nozzle portions may cause the temperature of the frozen dessert exposed to the edges to rise from a freezer temperature of between -5°F and 0°F to an ideal serving temperature of between 6°F and 10°F.

[0034] The nozzle 9 may have installed thereon a foil seal 21 that covers the nozzle 9 prior to dispensing of the frozen dessert. In another embodiment, the seal 21 may instead be installed over the cap 23. The foil seal 21 and/or the cap 23 may help protect the nozzle 9 during transportation of the cartridge 5. A user may break off the seal 21 and/or cap 23 prior to inserting the cartridge 5 into the machine 1 or the machine 1 may include a device that exerts force upon the seal 21 and/or cap 23 thereby causing the seal 21 and/or cap 23 to break off the cartridge 5. The cap 23 may include, for example, a circular groove (not shown) inside which a device may be inserted to apply axial force to the cap 23 to remove it from the rest of the cartridge 5. The seal 21 may include a tail connected (e.g., adhesive, thermal weld, etc.) to the neck of the nozzle 9 to keep the seal 21 connected to the cartridge 5 after the seal 21 has been broken.

[0035] The cartridge 5 may include an identification (e.g., bar code, q-code, RFID, etc.) and the machine 1 may include a reader for reading the identification. The machine 1 may read the ID to identify production batch, expiration date, size, flavor, lot number, manufacturer, etc. and/or to ensure the cartridge 5 is genuine. This information may be shown to the consumer on a display of machine 1 or may be recorded or transmitted (e.g., via Wi-Fi) to monitor use, consumption, etc. [0036] Figure 4 illustrates a perspective view of the machine 1 with the enclosure 2 removed. Significant components of the machine 1 include the cartridge cart 3 into which the frozen dessert cartridge 5 is inserted and a plunger 13 relative to which the cartridge cart 3 moves along the central axis a to expel the frozen dessert from the cartridge 5. Other significant components include the turntable 33 on which the cup C rests for receiving the frozen dessert expelled from the cartridge 5, and a discard bin 54 into which empty cartridges may be disposed after use.

[0037] The machine 1 may include a main frame 30 and a hinged frame 32 hingedly connected to the main frame 30.

[0038] The main frame 30 may have built thereon a first vertically moving structure 34 and a first fixed structure 35. The first vertically moving structure 34 carries the cartridge cart 3. The first vertically moving structure 34 may also include a servo (not shown) to tilt the cartridge cart 3 during loading of the cartridge 5, as described below. The fixed structure 35 carries the plunger 13 and the first drive source 36. The fixed structure 35 may also include a servo 43 to actuate radial grippers at the top of the plunger 13 for retaining the cartridge 5 attached to the plunger 13 once frozen dessert has been expelled from the cartridge 5. The fixed structure 35 may also include a servo (not shown) to tilt the plunger 13 retaining the empty cartridge 5 for discarding the cartridge 5 into the bin 54. The first drive source 36 may include a motor 38, gears 40, and lead screws 42. Actuating the first drive source 36 causes the first vertically moving structure 34 to move vertically relative to the fixed structure 35. Therefore, actuating the first drive source 36 causes the cartridge cart 3 to move vertically relative to the plunger 13.

[0039] The hinged frame 32 may have built thereon a second vertically moving structure 44 and a second fixed structure 45. The second vertically moving structure 44 carries the turntable 33 on which the cup C rests for receiving the frozen dessert expelled from the cartridge 5. The second vertically moving structure 44 may also include a motor 58 for turning the turntable 33. The second fixed structure 45 carries the second drive source 46. The drive source 46 may include a motor 48, gears 50, and lead screws 52. Actuating the second drive source 46 causes the second vertically moving structure 44 to move vertically relative to the second fixed structure 45.

Therefore, actuating the second drive source 46 causes the cup C to move vertically relative to the plunger 13 while turning the turntable 33.

[0040] Figure 5 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary cartridge cart 3. The cartridge cart 3 has a wall or walls forming a cylindrical cavity 3a which may

accommodate the cartridge 5. The cavity 3a has a large top opening 3b and a smaller bottom opening 3c. The cartridge cart 3 also includes a support wall 3d surrounding the bottom opening 3c. The cartridge cart 3 may also include tabs 3e that connect to a tilting mechanism of the machine 1 to tilt the cartridge cart 3 so that the top opening 3b may present itself at the front of the machine 1 for a user to insert a cartridge 5 into the cartridge cart 3. Once inserted, the nozzle neck 9b of the cartridge 5 would protrude through the bottom opening 3c and the nozzle shoulder 9a would rest on the inside of the support wall 3d. The cartridge cart 3 may accommodate cartridges of various sizes (e.g., length) depending on a serving size. For a small serving the cart 3 may

accommodate a shorter cartridge 5 while for a larger serving the cart 3 may

accommodate a longer cartridge 5.

[0041] Figure 6 illustrates a schematic view of the interaction between the cartridge cart 3, the cartridge 5, and the plunger 13. The cartridge cart 3 includes the support wall 3d that supports the first end 5a or, more specifically, the nozzle shoulder 9a of the cartridge 5 with the plunger 13 in engagement with the piston 1 1. The support wall 3d axially supports (against gravity and against force applied by the plunger 13) the cartridge 5.

[0042] The cartridge cart 3 also radially supports the cartridge 5. The cartridge cart 3 resists radial force exerted on the cylindrical tube 7 by the frozen dessert as the plunger 13 pushes the piston 1 1 along the central axis a. Therefore, actuating the first drive source 36 causes the frozen dessert to dispense through the nozzle 9 without the cartridge 5 (even if made of a relatively soft material such as paper, cardboard, or light plastic) rupturing or exploding from the applied pressure. The cartridge cart 3 may be fabricated from a material whose tensile strength withstands the load applied to its walls (when the drive source 36 causes the individual portion of frozen dessert to dispense) without failure or plastic deformation of the cartridge cart 3. In one embodiment, the cartridge cart 3 is manufactured from steel. In other embodiments, the cartridge cart 3 is manufactured from materials other than steel.

[0043] Figures 7-16 illustrate cross-sectional side views of the machine 1 to illustrate a method of dispensing frozen dessert using the machine 1.

[0044] Figure 7 illustrates loading of the cartridge 5 into the machine 1. As described above, the cartridge cart 3 is tiltably mounted to the first vertically moving structure 34 to tilt such that the top opening 3b moves towards the front of the machine 1 to allow for user insertion of the cartridge 5 into the cartridge cart 3. Once inserted, the nozzle neck 9b of the cartridge 5 protrudes through the bottom opening 3c and the nozzle shoulder 9a rests on the support wall 3d of the cartridge cart 3. After the user inserts the cartridge 5 into the cart 3, the user may close the door 4 of the machine 1 and may also press Start on the controls 8 of the machine 1 to get the automatic part of the process started.

[0045] Figure 8 illustrates start of the automatic portion of the frozen dessert dispensing process. From the outwardly tilted position of figure 7, the cartridge cart 3, carrying the cartridge 5, may then tilt in the opposite direction such that the top opening 3b moves to a position in which the cartridge cart 3 and the piston 1 1 is axially aligned with the plunger 13. Before dispensing of the frozen dessert, however, the machine 1 removes the cap 23 of the cartridge 5.

[0046] Figure 9 illustrates engagement of a cap grasper 60 to the cap 23. The vertically moving structure 34 includes a servo 62 that moves the cap grasper 60 horizontally forward to engage the cap 23 at a groove of the cap 23.

[0047] Figure 10 illustrates removal of the cap 23. The cap grasper 60, after engaging the cap 23, may be moved vertically downward to remove the cap 23 from the cartridge 5. The cap 23 may be installed to the cartridge 5 by means of an interference engagement and the cap grasper 60 may apply adequate axial force downward to break the interference engagement while nozzle shoulder 9a rests on the support wall 3d of the cartridge cart 3. [0048] Figure 1 1 illustrates the cap grasper 60, after removal of the cap 23, moving horizontally to move the cap 23 away from the path of the frozen dessert towards the back of the machine.

[0049] Figure 12 illustrates engagement of the piston 1 1 and the plunger 13. The drive source 36 moves the first vertically moving structure 34 vertically upwards vertically moving the cartridge cart 3 such that the plunger 13 enters the opening 3b at the top end. Eventually, the plunger 13 engages the piston 1 1 and pushes the piston 1 1 along the central axis a while the support wall 3d moves up vertically against the shoulder 5a of the cartridge 5 thereby pushing the frozen dessert through the nozzle 9.

[0050] At the same time, the second drive source 46 drives the second vertically moving structure 44 vertically upwards while the turntable 33 turns. Thus, the machine 1 simultaneously rotates and moves upwardly the dessert cup C. This simultaneous motion results in the at least some of the frozen dessert pushed through the nozzle 9 being dispensed into the dessert cup C in a twirly, spiral shape. In one embodiment, the first vertically moving structure 34 moves up vertically at a different speed from that of the second vertically moving structure 44.

[0051] Figure 13 illustrates the conclusion of the dispensing part of the process. The piston 1 1 reaches the nozzle 9 thereby extracting much of the frozen dessert previously in the cartridge 5.

[0052] Figure 14 illustrates reinstalling of the cap 23 onto the cartridge 3. Frozen desserts such as ice cream can be messy if not managed properly. Therefore, prior to discarding of the cartridge 3, which may still have some dessert inside, the machine 1 recaps the cartridge 3 to prevent spillage. After the frozen dessert has been dispensed, the cap grasper 60 may move horizontally towards the front of the machine 1 and, thereafter, along the axis a towards the cartridge cart 3 to reinstall the cap 23 onto the cartridge 3.

[0053] Figure 15A illustrates gripping of the cartridge 5 to retain it and, thereby, extract it from the cartridge cart 3 when the cartridge cart 3 moves vertically downward. The plunger 13 may include one or more radial grippers 70 and a servo 43 configured to expand the radial grippers 70 radially within the cylindrical tube 7 to grab the cartridge 5. Figure 15B illustrates a perspective view of the plunger 13 to show more detail of the radial grippers 70. The radial grippers 70 expand radially and grip the cartridge 5 from within to retain it. Actuating the first drive source 36 causes the first vertically moving structure 34 to move down vertically, thereby vertically moving down the cartridge cart 3 while the radial grippers 70 retain the cartridge 5, thereby extracting the cartridge 5 from the cartridge cart 3.

[0054] Figure 16 illustrates discarding of the cartridge 5. The plunger 13 is tiltably connected to the fixed structure 35 and is connected to a servo configured to tilt the plunger 13. The machine 1 may include a chute 72 that declines as it extends away from the front of the machine 1. The high end of the chute 72 is disposed as to receive the cartridge 5 from the plunger 13 when the plunger 13 is tilted. The low end of the chute 72 is disposed above the discard bin 54 as to dispatch the cartridge 5 into the bin 54. Once the plunger 13 is tilted as shown in figure 16, the radial grippers 70 may release the cartridge 5 by radially contracting. The chute 72 receives the cartridge 5 and dispatches it into the bin 54. The discard bin 54 is located within the main frame 30 relative to the chute 72 so as to receive the dispatched cartridge 5. The chute 72 may include a sensor 73 to sense when the bin 54 is full and send a signal to stop operation of the machine 1 and/or alert for maintenance. The machine 1 may include a sensor 75 to sense when the bin 54 is not present and send a signal to stop operation of the machine 1 and/or alert for maintenance.

[0055] Figures 17 and 18 illustrate removal of the discard bin 54. The hinged frame 32 is hingedly connected to the main frame 30 to pivot relative to the main frame 30. As shown in figure 17, in a service mode of the machine 1 , the first vertically moving structure 34 moves up vertically relative to the main frame 30 and the hinged frame 32 pivots relative to the main frame 30. This creates an adequate opening that allows frontal removal of the discard bin 54 from within the main frame 30 as shown in figure 18.

DEFINITIONS

[0056] The following includes definitions of selected terms employed herein. The definitions include various examples or forms of components that fall within the scope of a term and that may be used for implementation. The examples are not intended to be limiting. Both singular and plural forms of terms may be within the definitions.

[0057] As used herein, an“operable connection” or“operable coupling,” or a connection by which entities are“operably connected” or“operably coupled” is one in which the entities are connected in such a way that the entities may perform as intended. An operable connection may be a direct connection or an indirect connection in which an intermediate entity or entities cooperate or otherwise are part of the connection or are in between the operably connected entities. In the context of signals, an“operable connection,” or a connection by which entities are“operably connected,” is one in which signals, physical communications, or logical communications may be sent or received. Typically, an operable connection includes a physical interface, an electrical interface, or a data interface, but it is to be noted that an operable connection may include differing combinations of these or other types of connections sufficient to allow operable control. For example, two entities can be operably connected by being able to communicate signals to each other directly or through one or more intermediate entities like a processor, operating system, a logic, software, or other entity. Logical or physical communication channels can be used to create an operable connection.

[0058] To the extent that the term“includes” or“including” is employed in the detailed description or the claims, it is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term“comprising” as that term is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, to the extent that the term“or” is employed in the detailed description or claims (e.g., A or B) it is intended to mean“A or B or both”. When the applicants intend to indicate“only A or B but not both” then the term“only A or B but not both” will be employed. Thus, use of the term“or” herein is the inclusive, and not the exclusive use. See, Bryan A. Garner, A Dictionary of Modern Legal Usage 624 (2d. Ed. 1995).

[0059] While example systems, methods, and so on, have been illustrated by describing examples, and while the examples have been described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit scope to such detail. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the systems, methods, and so on, described herein. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details, the representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described. Thus, this application is intended to embrace alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the preceding description is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Rather, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A machine for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert, the machine comprising:

a cartridge cart having walls forming a cylindrical cavity having a longitudinal central axis and configured to accommodate a cartridge including a cylindrical tube having first and second ends, a nozzle disposed at the first end, a piston disposed between the nozzle and the second end and configured to slidably move along the cylindrical tube, the frozen dessert contained within the cylindrical tube between the nozzle and the piston;

a plunger mounted for movement of the cartridge cart relative to the plunger or viceversa along the central axis;

a drive source operably coupled to at least one of cartridge cart or the plunger and configured to drive the plunger along the central axis; and

a support configured to support the first end of the cartridge with the plunger in engagement with the piston such that, with the cylindrical tube radially supported by the cartridge cart and axially supported by the support, actuating the drive source causes at least some of the frozen dessert to dispense through the nozzle as the individual portion.

2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge cart resists radial force exerted on the walls by the cylindrical tube when the drive source causes the frozen dessert to dispense through the nozzle.

3. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge cart is fabricated from a material whose tensile strength withstands a load applied to the walls by the cylindrical tube when the drive source causes the frozen dessert to dispense through the nozzle without failure or plastic deformation of the cartridge cart.

4. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge cart is fabricated from a material whose tensile strength withstand a load applied to the walls by the cylindrical tube when the drive source causes the frozen dessert to dispense through the nozzle without failure of the cartridge.

5. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge cart is fabricated from steel or a material of same or higher tensile strength as that of steel.

6. The machine of claim 1 , comprising:

a first vertically moving structure to which the cartridge cart and the drive source are operably connected, wherein the cartridge cart has an opening at a top end and the support at a bottom end and is tiltably connected to the vertically moving structure to tilt such that the opening moves towards a front of the machine to allow for user insertion of the cartridge into the cartridge cart.

7. The machine of claim 1 , comprising: a first vertically moving structure to which the cartridge cart and the drive source are operably connected, wherein the cartridge cart has an opening at a top end and the support at a bottom end and is tiltably connected to the vertically moving structure to tilt in a first direction such that the opening moves towards a front of the machine to allow for user insertion of the cartridge into the cartridge cart and thereafter tilt in a second direction, opposite the first direction, such that the opening moves to a position in which the cartridge cart is axially aligned with the plunger.

8. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge includes a cap removably connected to the cylindrical tube at the first end to, when installed on the cartridge, cover the nozzle, the machine comprising:

a cap grasper configured to move along an axis parallel to the central axis and along an axis perpendicular to the central axis towards a front of the machine and back, the cap grasper configured to engage the cap by moving along the axis perpendicular to the central axis towards the front of the machine and further configured to remove the cap from the cartridge by moving along the axis parallel to the central axis away from the cartridge cart while the support retains the first end of the cartridge inside the cartridge cart, the cap grasper configured to thereafter move the cap away from the path of the frozen dessert by moving along the axis perpendicular to the central axis towards the back of the machine.

9. The machine of claim 1 , comprising:

a first vertically moving structure to which the cartridge cart and the drive source are operably connected, wherein the cartridge cart has an opening at a top end and the support at a bottom end, wherein actuating the drive source causes the first vertically moving structure to move up vertically thereby vertically moving the cartridge cart such that the plunger enters the opening at the top end, engages the piston, and pushes the piston along the central axis while the support moves up vertically thereby pushing the at least some of the frozen dessert through the nozzle.

10. The machine of claim 1 , comprising:

a first vertically moving structure to which the cartridge cart and the drive source are operably connected, wherein the cartridge cart has an opening at a top end and the support at a bottom end, wherein actuating the drive source causes the first vertically moving structure to move up vertically thereby vertically moving the cartridge cart such that the plunger enters the opening at the top end, engages the piston, and pushes the piston along the central axis while the support moves up vertically thereby pushing the at least some of the frozen dessert through the nozzle; and

a second vertically moving structure having thereon a turntable configured to accommodate a dessert cup, wherein, in synchronicity with the actuating the drive source, the drive source or a second drive source causes the second vertically moving structure to move up vertically while the turntable turns thereby simultaneously rotating and vertically moving the dessert cup for the at least some of the frozen dessert pushed through the nozzle to be dispensed into the dessert cup.

1 1. The machine of claim 10, wherein the first vertically moving structure moves up vertically at a different speed from that of the second vertically moving structure.

12. The machine of claim 1 , comprising: a first vertically moving structure to which the cartridge cart and the drive source are operably connected, wherein the cartridge cart has an opening at a top end and the support at a bottom end, wherein actuating the drive source causes the first vertically moving structure to move up vertically thereby vertically moving the cartridge cart such that the plunger enters the opening at the top end, engages the piston, and pushes the piston along the central axis while the support moves up vertically thereby pushing the at least some of the frozen dessert through the nozzle; and

a second vertically moving structure having thereon a turntable configured to accommodate a dessert cup, wherein, in synchronicity with the actuating the drive source, the drive source or a second drive source causes the second vertically moving structure to move up vertically while the turntable turns thereby simultaneously rotating and vertically moving the dessert cup for the at least some of the frozen dessert pushed through the nozzle to be dispensed into the dessert cup and, thereafter, the drive source or the second drive source causes the second vertically moving structure to move down vertically while the first vertically moving structure rests or moves down vertically at a slower speed.

13. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge includes a cap removably connected to the cylindrical tube at the first end to, when installed on the cartridge, cover the nozzle, the machine comprising:

a cap grasper configured to move along an axis parallel to the central axis and along an axis perpendicular to the central axis towards a front of the machine and back, the cap grasper configured to engage the cap by moving along the axis perpendicular to the central axis towards the front of the machine and further configured to remove the cap from the cartridge by moving along the axis parallel to the central axis away from the cartridge cart while the support retains the first end of the cartridge inside the cartridge cart, the cap grasper configured to thereafter move the cap away from the path of the frozen dessert by moving along the axis perpendicular to the central axis towards the back of the machine and, after the at least some frozen dessert has been dispensed, move along the axis perpendicular to the central axis towards the front of the machine and thereafter along the axis parallel to the central axis towards the cartridge cart to reinstall the cap onto the cartridge.

14. The machine of claim 1 , comprising:

a first vertically moving structure to which the cartridge cart and the drive source are operably connected, wherein the cartridge cart has an opening at a top end and the support at a bottom end, wherein actuating the drive source causes the first vertically moving structure to move up vertically thereby vertically moving the cartridge cart such that the plunger enters the opening at the top end, engages the piston, and pushes the piston along the central axis while the support moves up vertically thereby pushing the at least some of the frozen dessert through the nozzle;

the plunger including one or more radial grippers configured to expand radially within the cylindrical tube to grab the cartridge;

wherein actuating the drive source causes the first vertically moving structure to move down vertically thereby vertically moving down the cartridge cart while the one or more radial grippers of the plunger retain the cartridge thereby extracting the cartridge from the cartridge cart.

15. The machine of claim 1 , comprising:

a first vertically moving structure to which the cartridge cart and the drive source are operably connected, wherein the cartridge cart has an opening at a top end and the support at a bottom end and is tiltably connected to the vertically moving structure to tilt in a first direction such that the opening moves towards a front of the machine to allow for user insertion of the cartridge into the cartridge cart and thereafter tilt in a second direction, opposite the first direction, such that the opening moves to a position in which the cartridge cart is axially aligned with the plunger, wherein actuating the drive source causes the first vertically moving structure to move up vertically thereby vertically moving the cartridge cart such that the plunger enters the opening at the top end, engages the piston, and pushes the piston along the central axis while the support moves up vertically thereby pushing the at least some of the frozen dessert through the nozzle;

the plunger including one or more radial grippers configured to expand radially within the cylindrical tube to grab the cartridge, wherein actuating the drive source causes the first vertically moving structure to move down vertically thereby vertically moving down the cartridge cart while the one or more radial grippers of the plunger retain the cartridge thereby extracting the cartridge from the cartridge cart;

a chute declining away from the front of the machine from a high end disposed as to receive the cartridge from the plunger to a low end disposed as to dispatch the cartridge away from the front of the machine;

the plunger configured to tilt in the first direction and, thereafter, release the cartridge by radially contracting the one or more radial grippers;

the chute configured to receive and dispatch the cartridge away from the front of the machine.

16. The machine of claim 15, comprising:

a discard bin disposed relative to the chute so as to receive the dispatched cartridge; and a sensor configured to sense whether the discard bin is not present or is full and transmit a signal for controlling the machine as to not dispatch the cartridge when the discard bin is not present or is full.

17. The machine of claim 1 , comprising:

a second vertically moving structure having thereon a turntable configured to accommodate a dessert cup, wherein, in synchronicity with the actuating the drive source, the drive source or a second drive source causes the second vertically moving structure to move up vertically while the turntable turns thereby simultaneously rotating and vertically moving the dessert cup for the at least some of the frozen dessert pushed through the nozzle to be dispensed into the dessert cup and, thereafter, the drive source or the second drive source causes the second vertically moving structure to move down vertically while the first vertically moving structure rests or moves down vertically at a slower speed;

a chute declining away from the front of the machine from a high end disposed as to receive the cartridge from the plunger to a low end disposed as to dispatch the cartridge away from the front of the machine; the plunger configured to tilt in the first direction and, thereafter, release the cartridge by radially contracting the one or more radial grippers;

the chute configured to receive and dispatch the cartridge away from the front of the machine; and

a discard bin disposed relative to the chute so as to receive the dispatched cartridge.

18. The machine of claim 17, comprising:

a main frame to which the first vertically moving structure is operably connected and within which the discard bin is disposed; and

a hinged frame to which the second vertically moving structure is operably connected, the hinged frame hingedly connected to the main frame to pivotably move relative to the main frame.

19. The machine of claim 18, wherein in a service mode of the machine the first vertically moving structure moves up vertically relative to the main frame and the hinged frame including the second vertically moving structure pivots relative to the main frame to allow frontal removal of the discard bin from within the main frame.

20. The machine of claim 1 , comprising:

an electronic display that displays instructions to a user as to how to operate the machine; and

a proximity sensor configured to detect proximity of a user to the machine and, based on the detected proximity, commence displaying the instructions.

21. The machine of claim 1 , comprising: an enclosure having a front door or opening for inserting the cartridge into the machine, the front door or opening connecting to a passage that leads the cartridge into the cartridge cart.

22. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge cart accommodates a first cartridge for which the cylindrical tube is of a first length and a second cartridge for which the cylindrical tube is of a second length shorter than the first length.

23. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle has a star-shaped opening from which the frozen dessert dispenses through the nozzle, the star-shaped opening formed by nozzle portions whose edges cause friction with the frozen dessert being dispensed causing the frozen dessert temperature to rise.

24. The machine of claim 1 , where the piston and the nozzle have corresponding shapes to maximize an amount of the frozen dessert being dispensed from the cartridge.

25. The machine of claim 1 , comprising:

a cartridge detector configured to detect information about the cartridge including at least one of:

lot number,

expiration date.

flavor, and

manufacturer.

26. A cartridge for dispensing an individual portion of a frozen dessert, the cartridge comprising: a paper or plastic cylindrical tube having first and second ends; a nozzle disposed at the first end; and

a piston disposed between the nozzle and the second end and configured to slidably move along the cylindrical tube, the individual portion of the frozen dessert contained within the cylindrical tube between the nozzle and the piston.

27. The cartridge of claim 26, including an identification that a machine may read to ensure the cartridge is genuine.